Pglo Transformation Essay

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In the Transformation lab, we saw how protein glowed in bacteria. First we scooped out bacteria from a petri dish and added it into positive and negative labeled test tubes. We then pipetted calcium chloride into the test tubes. The calcium chloride adds positive charges into the mix. The test tubes are then placed into an ice bath to cool the bacteria down before they were removed and put into hot water. This process kills some of the bacteria creating an apocalyptic environment. Those that did not die took in an extra plasmid in an attempt to survive. The plasmid helped them survive the heat. Not all bacteria took in plasmid. The tubes are then placed back into ice to calm the bacteria. The bacteria was then pipetted out of the test tubes …show more content…

All the bacteria on the petri dish took in the plasmid and are therefore alive. The gene did not glow because Arabinose was not present and they could not turn on the operon. LB/ Amp /Ara with pglo glowed because the arabinose turned on the operon that controlled glowing. The bacteria is now making arabinose, causing them to glow. Also, all the bacteria on the petri dish were resistant to Ampicillin. Some of the bacteria colonies that did not glow had metabolized, or used up, all the arabinose. Bacterial transformation has shown great promise and progress in medicine and agriculture. It helps with research of using Insulin to treat diabetics, creating, and inserting cell hosts. Botanists use bacterial transformation to experiment with plants to resist colder temperatures, playing with the ripening process, and their ability to form a resistance to pests. However, these are always contradicted with statements challenging the ethical and moral issues that have to be unravelled with much thought before the further use of bacterial transformation. This process has opened doors for a healthier future and new, easier ways to create life saving

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